Limestone importance

Some carbonates are important industrial chemicals. Calcium carbonate occurs naturally in several forms, including limestone, and is used in the production of quicklime, calcium oxide CaO, slaked (or hydrated) lime, calcium hydroxide Ca(OH)2 and cement. 

Mixed with sand it hardens as mortar and plaster by taking up carbon dioxide from the air. Calcium from limestone is an important element in Portland cement. 

The basic Solvay process remains the dominant production route for soda ash. Its continued success is based on the raw matedals, salt and limestone, being more readily available than natural alkaU. AH soda ash processes are based on the manipulation of saline phase chemistry (6,7) an understanding of which is important both to improving current processes and to the economic development of new alkaU resources. 

Calcium. Soil minerals are a main source of calcium for plants, thus nutrient deficiency of this element in plants is rare. Calcium, in the form of pulverized limestone [1317-65-3] or dolomite [17069-72-6] frequendy is appHed to acidic soils to counteract the acidity and thus improve crop growth. Such liming incidentally ensures an adequate supply of available calcium for plant nutrition. Although pH correction is important for agriculture, and liming agents often are sold by fertilizer distributors, this function is not one of fertilizer manufacture. 

Calcium. Calcium is the fifth most abundant element in the earth s cmst. There is no foreseeable lack of this resource as it is virtually unlimited. Primary sources of calcium are lime materials and gypsum, generally classified as soil amendments (see Calcium compounds). Among the more important calcium amendments are blast furnace slag, calcitic limestone, gypsum, hydrated lime, and precipitated lime. Fertilizers that carry calcium are calcium cyanamide, calcium nitrate, phosphate rock, and superphosphates. In addition, there are several organic carriers of calcium. Calcium is widely distributed in nature as calcium carbonate, chalk, marble, gypsum, fluorspar, phosphate rock, and other rocks and minerals. 

In addition to the principal equations discussed, several others occur which may be of importance, including calcination of calcium carbonate (limestone), which takes place in the upper shaft at 800—870°C,... 

Limestone Production. Because more than 99% of U.S. limestone is sold or used as cmshed and broken stone, rather than dimension-stone, most of the description of limestone s extraction and processing herein focuses on the former (Fig. 4). Most stone is obtained by open-pit quarrying methods. Underground mining is pursued by some important operations, but the toimage quarried exceeds that mined by nearly 20-fold. There is, however, a slight trend toward increased mining which should continue. 

Except for two countries, there is very fitde world trade in lime. The largest importer is the Netherlands, which is nearly devoid of limestone and thus imports about 10 t aimually from Belgium and Germany. The other net importer of consequence is the United States, which imports ca 150, 000 t/yr or about 1% of U.S. production. About 85% of the U.S. imports are from Canada the balance is from Mexico. 

Emissions control systems play an important role at most coal-fired power plants. For example, PC-fired plants sited in the United States require some type of sulfur dioxide control system to meet the regulations set forth in the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990, unless the boiler bums low sulfur coal or benefits from offsets from other highly controlled boilers within a given utiUty system. Flue-gas desulfurization (FGD) is most commonly accomphshed by the appHcation of either dry- or wet-limestone systems. Wet FGD systems, also referred to as wet scmbbers, are the most effective solution for large faciUties. Modem scmbbers can typically produce a saleable waUboard-quaUty gypsum as a by-product of the SO2 control process (see SULFURREMOVAL AND RECOVERY). 

Tile is based mainly on vinyl chloride and vinyl acetate copolymers. Some polypropylene tile systems have recendy been iatroduced. A petroleum resia is usually employed as an extender and processiag aid conventional vinyl plasticizers and stabilizers also are iacorporated. Reinforcing fibers and limestone constitute the remainder of the tile composition the fibers contribute hot strength for processiag and dimensional stabiHty ia the finished tile, limestone suppHes bulk at an economical cost. Stable pigments are also iacorporated. Siace tile is iastalled oa and below grade level, it is important that the finished product be resistant to the effects of moisture and alkaH. 

Carbonates and Sulfates Carbonates include limestone, cal-cite, marble, marls, chalk, dolomite, and magnesite the most important sulfates are barite, celestite, anhydrite, and gypsum these are used as fillers in paint, paper, and rubber. (Gypsum and anhydrite are discussed below as part of the cement, lime, and gypsum industries.)... 

For many years atactic polypropylene was an unwanted by-product but today it finds use in a number of markets and is specially made for these purposes rather than being a by-product. In Europe the main use has been in conjuction with bitumen as coating compounds for roofing materials, for sealing strips where it confers improved aging properties and in road construction where it improves the stability of asphalt surfaces. Less important in Europe but more important in USA is its use for paper laminating for which low-viscosity polymers are used, often in conjunction with other resins. Limestone/atactic... 

For electrical insulation china clay is commonly employed whilst various calcium carbonates (whiting, ground limestone, precipitated calcium carbonate, and coated calcium carbonate) are used for general purpose work. Also occasionally employed are talc, light magnesium carbonate, barytes (barium sulphate) and the silicas and silicates. For flooring applications asbestos has been an important filler. The effect of fillers on some properties of plasticised PVC are shown in Figure 12.21 (a-d). 

The solubility of calcium carbonate is such that in a saturated solution the product of ion concentrations [Ca+2][C0 2] is 5 X I0 B. Though this may seem quite small, it is large enough to be important to man, especially if he lives in a region of the earth where there are extensive limestone deposits. Calcium carbonate can be dissolved in water, especially if it contains much dissolved C02. This is objectionable because soap added to water which contains even traces of Ca+2 forms a precipitate of calcium stearate. This is the ring that is so difficult to remove from the bathtub. 

Magnesium and calcium are by far the most important members of the group. Magnesium is, in effect, the doorway to life it is present in every chlorophyll molecule and hence enables photosynthesis to take place. Calcium is the element of rigidity and construction it is the cation in the bones of our skeletons, the shells of shellfish, and the concrete, mortar, and limestone of buildings. 

Of the principal minerals of Ca listed in Table 1, the most important ores are the various deposits of CaCOj, especially limestones, which occur as immense sedimentary beds over extensive parts of the earth s surface. Extraction of Ca from CaCOj is a simple and relatively inexpensive process. Although the other Ca-bearing minerals are rarely considered as potential Ca sources, they are widely distributed and extensively mined fluorite and apatite for their fluoride and phosphate content, gypsum and anhydrite for their use in construction. 

Properties Commercial grades Uses Manufacture White to grayish-white solid. Reacts with water to form calcium hydroxide. Commercial lime is available in lump, pebble, ground, and pulverized forms. One of the oldest commercial chemicals. Used in hundreds of applications. The most important uses are for making steel and chemicals, water treatment, pollution control, pulp and paper, and construction. Limestone (calcium carbonate, CaCOj) from mines or quarries is heated in a kiln (calcined). 

Many of the minerals that form the Earth s crust contain oxoanions. Examples of carbonates are CaC03 (limestone) and MgCa (003)3 (dolomite). Barite (BaS04) is a sulfate mineral. An important phosphate is Caj (P04)3 F (apatite). Two silicates are zircon (ZrSi04) and olivine (a mixture of MgSi04 and FeSi04). 

Important metallic ore deposits include Besshi (Kieslager)-type (strata-bound cupriferous pyritic deposits), strata-bound Mn-Fe-type, skam-type, Kuroko-type and vein-type. Dominant non-metallic deposits are limestone, clay, native sulfur, zeolite, silica and gypsum deposits. The deposits are divisible into three groups, based on their ages of formation Carboniferous-Jurassic, Cretaceous-Paleogene and Tertiary-present. 

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